Page 35 - Studio International - January 1970

London and for his generous prizes. A few far or because no suitable painting has become volved, has worked extremely well. There is
firms and a few individuals have achieved available. The only figurative artist represented not a single painting in the collection that
something positive in recent years, and of high to date is Patrick Caulfield, although a work falls below museum standard and it would be
quality, and give one hope for the future. by David Hockney comes very high on the very hard to find a better Paul Huxley than
This article is about another collection, still present desiderata list. But in general Mr Untitled No. 45 1965 or a better Bridget Riley
in process of formation, which constitutes a Ferranti finds pop art too flippant and his of its period than Arrest 4 1965. Even artists
significant addition to the artistic scene. It is personal taste seems to be for abstract art of who are less well established, such as John
the personal property of Mr Sebastian Ferran- a serene and lyrical kind, especially if it has Edwards and Roger Cook, are exceptionally
ti, the Chairman of Ferranti Ltd., but it hangs some definable intellectual content. well represented. Some of the works are of
in the firm's headquarters in the Vickers sky- The list of artists is itself quite impressive but considerable size, the largest being an irregu-
scraper in Millbank. When Ferrantis moved what is truly remarkable about the collection lar shaped Jeremy Moon which has a maxi-
to their new premises in 1965, Mr Ferranti is the very high quality of the individual mum width of nearly eleven feet; there is
decided to fulfil a long-standing ambition and works. These have obviously been chosen with nothing small or in the least trivial. It is a
buy a number of paintings by younger British great discrimination and the process of a collection of major works and I know of no
artists to decorate the offices. In choosing to double sifting, whereby two tastes are in- collection apart from the Tate's, the British
do this he was influenced partly by his interest
in the surprising similarity between the kind
of design with which his firm was concerned
in the field of heavy electrical engineering and
electronics (in particular such products as
microcircuits) and certain types of contem-
porary art, both ofwhich may be said to involve
a kind of 'structured interpretation'. Engineer-
ing design of such complexity necessitates at
times aesthetic decisions akin to the creation of
a work of art. Therefore Mr Ferranti thought it
was especially suitable that his firm, which
specialized in some of the most advanced de-
velopments of technology, should be associated
with unmistakably contemporary art.
Although he had always collected things, and
when living in Paris had begun to buy pictures,
he realized that he did not know enough about
the work of the younger artists to form a col-
lection on his own. So he turned for help to the
Rowan Gallery. The arrangement was made
that the Rowan Gallery would draw up a list of
artists eligible for consideration and would
bring forward paintings for selection, but Mr
Ferrantire served for himself the right to choose
and to refuse work which he did not sufficiently
like. The first stage of their collaboration con-
sisted of looking at a great many pictures. John Hoyland
13/12/66 1966
Purchasing began in the autumn of 1966 and Acrylic on canvas
in the three years since then the following 60 x 102 in.
twelve paintings have been bought : 2
Paul Huxley
Patrick Caulfield: The Well 1966 (48x 84 in.) Untitled No. 45 1965
Roger Cook: Untitled No. 251965 (36 x 72 in.) Acrylic on canvas
BO x 110 in.
John Edwards: Soft Alternator 1966 (66 x 84
in.) 3
Richard Smith
John Hoyland: 13112166 (60 x 102 in.) A Whole rear and Half a
Day 1966
Paul Huxley: Untitled No. 42 1965 (80 x 80 in.) Liquitex on canvas
Paul Huxley: Untitled No. 45 1965 (80x 110 60 x 60 in.
in.) 4
Bridget Riley
Mark Lancaster: Third Spread 1966 (60 x 84 Arrest 4 1965
in.) Emulsion on canvas
75¼ x 73½ in.
Mark Lancaster: Sixth Spread 1966 (48 x 96
in.)
Jeremy Moon: Orange Queen 1964 (65 x 130
in.)
Bridget Riley: Arrest 4 1965 (75¼ x 73½ in.)
Bridget Riley: Cataract 1 1967 (70+ x 70+ in.)
Richard Smith: A Whole Year and Half a Day
1966 (60x 60 in.)
Although a number of well-known artists, are
not yet included this is either because Mr
Ferranti has not particularly liked their work so